Trivia: According to Stottlemeyer, Monk has helped the SFPD solve six cases (since his departure from the force) as of the start of this episode. Since this is the fifth episode of the series, we have seen four of them at this point.

How was Stokes a member of the same chapter of AA (or whatever sobriety organization they used for the show) as his ferris wheel girlfriend when he had been confined to prison for the past 14 months? Even if they met at meetings before he went to prison, he would have attended meetings and gotten his 3-year pin in prison while his girlfriend got her color-coded pin from the chapter in the outside world.

Considering he was able to concoct such an elaborate plan to escape from prison, Stokes must have been at least somewhat intelligent. Why then did he wait until he had been in prison for 14 months to carry out his plan? And why was he dumb enough to hide in the ferris wheel after killing his girlfriend?

Monk, of course, is an excellent detective, but is he the only person able to conduct a rudimentary search of a crime scene? Wouldn't the ferris wheel have been thoroughly searched by the police during their initial investigation? It seems, if anything, that they would have been extra-thorough since the accused is a cop. However, they were unable to find the oddly-cut tarot card wedged in the ferris wheel's seat.

When Monk is in officer Adam Kirk's house cleaning the kitchen, he holds the last plate with his bare hand rather than the hand with the dishcloth. He doesn't even clean the hand with a wipe afterwards. The obsessively clean Monk would not have touched a stranger's dirty plate without protection from the germs.

How did the perp get into his cab on the ferris wheel? Watch the sequence carefully. Sharona gets in and Monk rotates the ferris wheel so Sharona's cab goes about three to four positions up from the ground. Then the perp climbs out of the cab directly across the wheel from her. That means his cab was straight up at the top of the wheel when Sharona got in. The ferris wheel isn't running when he makes his escape. So how'd he get to the cab on the top of the ferris wheel without anyone seeing him before Monk started the wheel?

Quotes

Sharona: Do you even know how to drive?Monk: Yes, I know how to drive.Sharona: I've never seen you.Monk: Well, there's about 15 things that I can do that you've never seen me do.Sharona: Like what?Monk: Drive. I can drive.

Sharona: No, no! Adrian, I'm driving. When hell freezes over, you can drive again. No, you know what? Even if hell freezes over, I'm still driving, because I don't want you driving on the ice. Get in the car!

Monk: (whispering) Should we take the case?Sharona: I think we should. (Starts to walk back to Stottlemeyer and Disher.)Monk: Wait. Talk some more. Make it look like a hard decision.Sharona: What should we talk about?Monk: How's Benjy?Sharona: He's good.Monk: What grade is he in now?Sharona: Fifth.Monk: What's he studying? English, math...Stottlemeyer: We can hear you.

The first victim in this episode was John Gitomer; a cop in the first episode was also named Gitomer. John Gitomer was played by Rob Stefaniuk; a murder victim in the pilot was played by Fred Stefaniuk. Coincidence? Probably not. My guess is that the two Stefaniuks are brothers. But two Gitomers?

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